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n n o The independent voice of students at Utah Valley State 13 MONDAYNOVEMBER 72005 WWW.NETXNEWS.NET VOLUME XXXIV'NO. XIII ... j ;.. I , J J D-Dall bounces Griffins Basketball started last week with v a win over Westminster. Does this 1 bode well for the season? Find out on B7. Coming from the right and the left Gregory Lucero and Bryan Horn give their reasons for their particular political leanings. And our beloved readers tell us why we are so wrong. All this and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in Opinions on A5. Math made easy Having a tough time getting through Math 1050 at UVSC? Join the club! We may have the answer you are looking for in the Life section, starting on B 1 . v ) . ) NY Tames reporter wa&rSs more transparency in government Jon Long News Writer In a time when questions are being raised concerning the First Amendment and the rights surrounding it, UVSC's student government welcomed a speaker from the New York Times who spoke of issues addressing its importance. "If you demand more, if you expect more, you will see a change," said David T. Barstow, an investigative reporter for the New York Times and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Barstow, who has been a reporter at the Times since April of 1999, spoke last Wednesday in the Ragan Theater on the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom to an audience of approximately 150 people. In addressing these issues he noted that the most important thing one could do is demand more from the media to help ensure First Amendment rights. By asking for more and calling them out on their mistakes, citizens help to ensure that journalists are checking their sources and researching their facts before reporting. These measures would help provide truthful and honest news. "I come to work every day with a commitment to tell stories that are unbiased and truthful. ..it is the bedrock foundation of describing the world as it is," Barstow said in an earlier question and answer session held in the Computer Science Building. According to Barstow, the nation is facing a rise on the restriction of information available to access; this not only affects journalists but students "I come to work every day with a commitment to tell stories that are unbiased and truthful." David Barstow New York Times Reporter and researchers as well. This restriction makes it harder to obtain information from sources other than government spinners. "Why is this so damaging?" he asks. He explains that limitations placed on available information increase the difficulty of verifying factual data. He asked that citizens be "skeptical of the politicians that would close down public access to information for reasons of national security and privacy," and to make sure the reason for them doing this is not to avoid public embarrassment or documentation of wasteful spending by the government. (Jn tne other hand, there are things that do need to be classified It is a delicate balance. Security issues such as the designs to nuclear power plants need to be kept classified. Last March Barstow wrote an article for the Times exposing propaganda, perpetuated by the government through the media. His article uncovered the government's attempt See BARSTOW-A2 V 6. A A A A Sla Ryan MeeksNetXNews New York Times reporter David Barstow spoke to students and faculty members last week concerning some of the challenges facing the media. UVSC and Westminster co-host religion and democracy conference Christians 'and Pagans and college presidents... oh my! Sederburg breaks bread with UVSC's Interfaith Student Association Errin Julkmen News Editor ( t UVSC's Interfaith Student Association has been operating on campus for almost ten years unofficially, and officially for the past two years. "We give people a support group, a place for people that don't feel they have anywhere to go," said Linda P. Walton, chaplain for UVSC. "We're not trying to proselytize, but we want to help facilitate education about different faith groups." The interfaith group has twice-a-month meetings, with free lunches and lectures. The lecture this month was presented by UVSC President William Sederburg. Sederburg addressed issues, incorporating his experiences coming to Utah as a member of the Lutheran church and helping bridge the gap between the members of different faiths on campus. "I came from a place where everyone liked to tell me when I was wrong," said Sederburg, "here there's a veneer where people won't tell me to my face." Sederburg also discussed what he perceived as the difficulty to become a part of the social structure without being a member of the LDS SAINT WILLIAM: President Sederburg spoke to the Interfaith Student Association last week. Ryan Meeks NetXNews Church. "The church asks for a lot of commitment from its members. It seems to make up the social structure, and for the outsider it can be difficult to break into that." When questioned about the separation of church and state, especially in regard to academic freedom, Sederburg said, "It seems like the mainstream really supports higher education and is very upcii to conversation, looking for a more diverse community. Sometimes their voices get drowned out." Sederburg also added that sometimes the historical theocracy still influences the ideology. t I "Utah is a state where you really need to understand religion," said Sederburg. "We want not just to tolerate each other, but celebrate each other," said Walton. Sederburg ended his lecture saying, "We members of different faiths have a role to play in Utah County, to share different points of view, and to share our ideas." Trisha Hansen, President of the Interfaith Student Association, said,"We are trying hard to get to know others with different religious views, but we have had a hard time finding people and getting them to stay around." Hansen also said that the group would "love for people to come and share their beliefs," emphasizing that all faiths are welcome. The Interfaith Student Association will be hosting a booth in the student center during National Bible Week on Nov. 22, and will be hosting another speaker on Dec. 2. For more information on joining the Interfaith Student Association or on upcoming events, contact club president Trisha Hansen at cowgirltrish2002 yahoo, com. Michael Palmner Assistant News Editor On Thursday, Nov. 3, and Friday,' Nov. 4, UVSC and Westminster College jointly hosted the tenth annual Religion and Humanities Conference. "This conference exposes students and our community to a variety of issues and perspectives. Religion is an influential part of our community and nation, and it is important to recognize the various ways in which religious beliefs impact society, both for good and for ill," said Brian Birch, chair of the philosophy department and director of the religious studies program at UVSC. The conference spanned two days. The events -of the first day were hosted on UVSC campus, the second day's events on Westminster campus. This was the first time UVSC had hosted the conference with another school. "We hope the experiment works to the advantage of both institutions," said Birch. The conference examined many of the ways in which religious beliefs and practices relate to democratic forms of governance in American society, as well as elsewhere perhaps most relevantly in Iraq. "Given the current efforts of the United States to build democracy in Iraq and the societies which live there, it is an important, and highly-debatedquestion as to whether, and in what respects, Islam is compatible with democracy," Birch said. "Various Christian traditions have wrestled with similar questions since the emergence of modern democratic cultures." Speakers for the UVSC- hosted portion of the conference included James Skillen, president of the Center for Public Justice in Washington D.C., as well as UVSC's own Vice-President of Academic Affairs Brad Cook, who received his Ph.D. from Oxford University, specializing in Middle Eastern studies. "Democracy, I would argue is on life support in the VS." Michael Minch UVSC Professor At Westminster, the keynote speakers were R. Scott Appleby, director of the Joan D. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame, and Irshad Manji, the best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today. The events on UVSC's campus concluded with a panel discussion that featured Skillen, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Michael Minch, and President Sederburg. The panelists took about ten minutes to present, followed by a question and answer section. Minch decried the lack of engaged and committed democracy in the United States. "Democracy, I would argue, is on life support in the U.S.," he said. Sederburg evoked his Lutheran background and his past experience in the Michigan state as well as See CONFERENCE -A2

n n o The independent voice of students at Utah Valley State 13 MONDAYNOVEMBER 72005 WWW.NETXNEWS.NET VOLUME XXXIV'NO. XIII ... j ;.. I , J J D-Dall bounces Griffins Basketball started last week with v a win over Westminster. Does this 1 bode well for the season? Find out on B7. Coming from the right and the left Gregory Lucero and Bryan Horn give their reasons for their particular political leanings. And our beloved readers tell us why we are so wrong. All this and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in Opinions on A5. Math made easy Having a tough time getting through Math 1050 at UVSC? Join the club! We may have the answer you are looking for in the Life section, starting on B 1 . v ) . ) NY Tames reporter wa&rSs more transparency in government Jon Long News Writer In a time when questions are being raised concerning the First Amendment and the rights surrounding it, UVSC's student government welcomed a speaker from the New York Times who spoke of issues addressing its importance. "If you demand more, if you expect more, you will see a change," said David T. Barstow, an investigative reporter for the New York Times and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Barstow, who has been a reporter at the Times since April of 1999, spoke last Wednesday in the Ragan Theater on the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom to an audience of approximately 150 people. In addressing these issues he noted that the most important thing one could do is demand more from the media to help ensure First Amendment rights. By asking for more and calling them out on their mistakes, citizens help to ensure that journalists are checking their sources and researching their facts before reporting. These measures would help provide truthful and honest news. "I come to work every day with a commitment to tell stories that are unbiased and truthful. ..it is the bedrock foundation of describing the world as it is," Barstow said in an earlier question and answer session held in the Computer Science Building. According to Barstow, the nation is facing a rise on the restriction of information available to access; this not only affects journalists but students "I come to work every day with a commitment to tell stories that are unbiased and truthful." David Barstow New York Times Reporter and researchers as well. This restriction makes it harder to obtain information from sources other than government spinners. "Why is this so damaging?" he asks. He explains that limitations placed on available information increase the difficulty of verifying factual data. He asked that citizens be "skeptical of the politicians that would close down public access to information for reasons of national security and privacy," and to make sure the reason for them doing this is not to avoid public embarrassment or documentation of wasteful spending by the government. (Jn tne other hand, there are things that do need to be classified It is a delicate balance. Security issues such as the designs to nuclear power plants need to be kept classified. Last March Barstow wrote an article for the Times exposing propaganda, perpetuated by the government through the media. His article uncovered the government's attempt See BARSTOW-A2 V 6. A A A A Sla Ryan MeeksNetXNews New York Times reporter David Barstow spoke to students and faculty members last week concerning some of the challenges facing the media. UVSC and Westminster co-host religion and democracy conference Christians 'and Pagans and college presidents... oh my! Sederburg breaks bread with UVSC's Interfaith Student Association Errin Julkmen News Editor ( t UVSC's Interfaith Student Association has been operating on campus for almost ten years unofficially, and officially for the past two years. "We give people a support group, a place for people that don't feel they have anywhere to go," said Linda P. Walton, chaplain for UVSC. "We're not trying to proselytize, but we want to help facilitate education about different faith groups." The interfaith group has twice-a-month meetings, with free lunches and lectures. The lecture this month was presented by UVSC President William Sederburg. Sederburg addressed issues, incorporating his experiences coming to Utah as a member of the Lutheran church and helping bridge the gap between the members of different faiths on campus. "I came from a place where everyone liked to tell me when I was wrong," said Sederburg, "here there's a veneer where people won't tell me to my face." Sederburg also discussed what he perceived as the difficulty to become a part of the social structure without being a member of the LDS SAINT WILLIAM: President Sederburg spoke to the Interfaith Student Association last week. Ryan Meeks NetXNews Church. "The church asks for a lot of commitment from its members. It seems to make up the social structure, and for the outsider it can be difficult to break into that." When questioned about the separation of church and state, especially in regard to academic freedom, Sederburg said, "It seems like the mainstream really supports higher education and is very upcii to conversation, looking for a more diverse community. Sometimes their voices get drowned out." Sederburg also added that sometimes the historical theocracy still influences the ideology. t I "Utah is a state where you really need to understand religion," said Sederburg. "We want not just to tolerate each other, but celebrate each other," said Walton. Sederburg ended his lecture saying, "We members of different faiths have a role to play in Utah County, to share different points of view, and to share our ideas." Trisha Hansen, President of the Interfaith Student Association, said,"We are trying hard to get to know others with different religious views, but we have had a hard time finding people and getting them to stay around." Hansen also said that the group would "love for people to come and share their beliefs," emphasizing that all faiths are welcome. The Interfaith Student Association will be hosting a booth in the student center during National Bible Week on Nov. 22, and will be hosting another speaker on Dec. 2. For more information on joining the Interfaith Student Association or on upcoming events, contact club president Trisha Hansen at cowgirltrish2002 yahoo, com. Michael Palmner Assistant News Editor On Thursday, Nov. 3, and Friday,' Nov. 4, UVSC and Westminster College jointly hosted the tenth annual Religion and Humanities Conference. "This conference exposes students and our community to a variety of issues and perspectives. Religion is an influential part of our community and nation, and it is important to recognize the various ways in which religious beliefs impact society, both for good and for ill," said Brian Birch, chair of the philosophy department and director of the religious studies program at UVSC. The conference spanned two days. The events -of the first day were hosted on UVSC campus, the second day's events on Westminster campus. This was the first time UVSC had hosted the conference with another school. "We hope the experiment works to the advantage of both institutions," said Birch. The conference examined many of the ways in which religious beliefs and practices relate to democratic forms of governance in American society, as well as elsewhere perhaps most relevantly in Iraq. "Given the current efforts of the United States to build democracy in Iraq and the societies which live there, it is an important, and highly-debatedquestion as to whether, and in what respects, Islam is compatible with democracy," Birch said. "Various Christian traditions have wrestled with similar questions since the emergence of modern democratic cultures." Speakers for the UVSC- hosted portion of the conference included James Skillen, president of the Center for Public Justice in Washington D.C., as well as UVSC's own Vice-President of Academic Affairs Brad Cook, who received his Ph.D. from Oxford University, specializing in Middle Eastern studies. "Democracy, I would argue is on life support in the VS." Michael Minch UVSC Professor At Westminster, the keynote speakers were R. Scott Appleby, director of the Joan D. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame, and Irshad Manji, the best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today. The events on UVSC's campus concluded with a panel discussion that featured Skillen, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Michael Minch, and President Sederburg. The panelists took about ten minutes to present, followed by a question and answer section. Minch decried the lack of engaged and committed democracy in the United States. "Democracy, I would argue, is on life support in the U.S.," he said. Sederburg evoked his Lutheran background and his past experience in the Michigan state as well as See CONFERENCE -A2